Controller for electric-railway cars.



No. 645,767. Patented Mar. 20, I900. A. SUNDH.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY CARS.

(Application flied Sept. 25 1899.:

6 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

ATTORNEY W/T/VESSES Tn: seams virus 60. PHOTDUTHOU WASHINGTON, D. c.

No. 645,767. Pate nte d Mar. 20, I900.

A. SUNDH.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY CARS.

(Application filqd Sept. 25, 1899.)

(N0 Model.) 6 Sheets-$3120! 2.

A TTORNE Y no. 645,767. Patented Mar. 20, I900. A. summ.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY CARS.

(Application filed Sept. 25, 1899.

6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

A TTORNE) PKTEH) co, wamqmnmweumwow n c No. 645,767. Patented Mar. 20,I900. A. SUNDH.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY CARS.

(Application filed Sept. 25. 1899.)

6 Sheefs-$heet 4.

(No Model.)

W/TNESSES A TTOHNE Y No. 645,767. Patehted Mar. 20, woo. A. summ.CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY CARS.

(Application filed Sept. 25, 1899.

6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

lNVENTOH W WITNESSES Q 8AM J eww A TTORNE Y "n4: nonms PETERS no.moTaLlmouyAwlue'rcm n. c.

No. 645,767. Patefited Mar. 20, loo.

A. suunu.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY CARS.

(Application filed Sept. 25, 1899.)

6 Sheets-Shaet 6.

(Nb Moda'l.)

A: Lil Li: $4

I cc 25 WITNESSES v ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST SUNDII, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRIC-RAILWAY CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,767, dated March20, 1906: Application filed September 25, 1899. Serial No, 731,506. (Nomodel.)-

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, AUGUST SUNDH, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Yonkers, county of Westchester, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inControllers for Electric-Railway Cars, of which the following is aspecification.

These improvements relate to mechanism for governing the operation of anelectric trolley-car from either platform by means of Y amanually-operative circuit-closer for closing an electricsupply-circuit, which according to the character of the movement of thecircuit-closer may be made to include either one of a group of branchcircuits carried on the car and respectively employed to supply thecurrent for the actuation of the several appurtenances by which theimpulsion of the car is controlled. By merely coupling together aplurality of such cars and connecting their groups of branch circuitswith one another all the impelling-motors of the cars thus made up intoa train can be simultaneouslystarted or stopped or otherwisesynchronously governed in their operation by the appropriate manualactuation of either one of the circuit-closers on any one of the cars.There are employed in each car the usual two barrel-switches, arrangedwith the usual system of contacts and branch circuits for supplying thecurrent from the main line to operate the usual two car-impelling motorsunder the usual variety of conditions.

The present invention embraces a cylinder for receiving at either endcompressed air for driving either way from the middle of the oylinder aspring-retracted piston connected to a piston-rod which projects throughboth heads of the cylinder and is provided at its opposite ends withrack-teeth for engaging pinions affixed, respectively, to the shafts ofthe barrel-switches, and thereby imparting to the barrel-switchesrotatory movements corresponding to the directions and ranges of thestroke of said piston; secondly, actuating mechanism for the valve whichcontrols the supply of compressed air to said cylinder, consisting of astep-by-step vibratable electromagnetic motor for opening said valve bymoving it, as required, either way from its median position andoperating a cam synchronously with the barrel-switches for 010s ing saidvalve by returning it to its median position; thirdly, amanually-operative circuit-closer on each platform in conjunction withthe necessary group of branch circuits for governing the supply of thecurrent to effect the vibration of the electromagnetic motor in thedirection and to the extent required to set the barrel-switches inpredetermined positions. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a carequipped with my improved apparatus with some parts insection. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of parts of two cars similarlyequipped and coupled together, as in a train, and with some parts insection. Fig. 3 is a top View of my apparatus with a part in section andwith the car body and also the barrel-switches indicated in dottedlines. Fig. 4 is an enlarged diagramm atic illustration representing,partly in horizontal section and in their median or off position, thedetails of the barrel-switch-actuating' mechanismand the electricgoverning apparatus shown in Fig. 3 and with the barrel-switchesindicated in dotted lines. Figs. 5 and 6 represent in plan and section,respectively, details of the said electric governing apparatus enlargedfor greater clearness. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of thebarrel-switch. Fig. Sisa horizontal section of the barrelswitch on line2 2, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is an elevation of a blow-on t device for thebarrel-switch, also shown in Figs. 7 and 8, which I employ in connectionwith the compressed-air barrelswitch actuator for disrupting the sparksin the controller. Fig. 10 is partlya side elevation and partly asectional elevation of a modified form of step-by-step vibratableelectromagnetic motor that may be employed in the electric governingapparatus of the controller-actuatin g mechanism. Fig. 11 is a verticalsection of the upper part of the barrelswitch, showing a detachableconnection of the barrel-switch to disconnect it from the actuatingmechanism when the car is to be used separately and the barrel-switch isto be worked by hand. Fig. 12 is a .top view of a barrel-switch.

A represents the car-body; a, the drivingmotors; b, the barrel-switches;c, the circuit closing and opening switch of the electric governingapparatus for the barrel-switch-actuating mechanism; (1, the cylinder ofthe compressed-air barrel-switch-actuating apparatus; e, thecompressed-air-actuated piston; f, the rod coupling said piston and thebarrelswitches b of each car, and g the compressedair holder forsupplying the air to operate the piston. The air may be supplied to theholders of the respective cars from any source by a train-pipe 72 to becoupled from car to car, as usual.

The barrel-switches b are located in the usual positions on the cars, orthereabout, with their shafts 2' extending through the platforms andhaving a toothed pinion j, geared with the piston-rod f by a toothedrack 70 of each extremity, said piston-rod being extended from end toend of the car, so as to gear the two barrel-switches for actuating themsynchronously by the one piston. The barrels or drums Z of the switcheshave duplicate sets of contacts on on opposite sides of an intermediatespace H. The reversing-switch 0 is located radially to the middle ofthis intermediate space When the drum stands in the off position, andthe drum-shaft carries a switch-shifting arm 19, that turns said switchand reverses the current whenever the drum is shifted for changing theconnection of the brushes (1 from one to the other of the sets ofcontacts 7% for running the car in opposite directions. The spring qlodges in the angles 3, respectively, to retain the switch in its setpositions. When the drum is in the off position, the piston e foroperating it must be in the middle position relatively to the cylinderto move in either direction for so shifting the drum, according as thecar is to run one way or the other.

To operate the piston, compressed airsupplied to the valve .9 from thetank g through pipe't is admitted to one or the other of the ends of thecylinder through pipes u or 1), according as the valve is shifted oneway or the other. to indicates the exhaust pipe. The piston must notonly be shifted in either direction, but it must also be shifted step bystep and be held in different positions corresponding with the diiferentsteps of the contacts of the barrel -switch drum Z, the number of whichmay, as indicated in this example, be three on each side of the drum.(See Fig. 12.) To shift the drum and stop and hold it at any desiredpoint, as when a contactis made for-closing the motor-circuit,a certainquantity of air must be admitted to the cylinder, sufficient to effectthe desired movement of the drum. The supply must then be shut off andthe air admitted must be retained to hold the drum until another changeis to be made. For so opening the valve I have provided a step-by-stepvibratable electro-' magnetic motor comprising a series of magnets and agoverning-switch or circuit-closer therefor, said magnets beingrespectively con= nected in separate circuits with the respectivecontacts of the governing-switch to be operated individually and beingcollectively connected with the valve for opening it successively, andfor closing the valve said valve is connected with a cam on the shaft ofthe barrel-switch drum, which closes the valve automatically as the drumshifts from one position to another; but said valve may of course beconnected with any part moving synchronously with the barrel-switch.Various different arrangements of the magnets may be employed for soopening the valve, and the means of utilizing the barrel-switchdrumshaft for closing the valve may be varied at will. The arrangementof magnets comprising the said step-by-step vibratable electromagneticmotor that I prefer consists of a rotatory toothed gear system in whichtwo segments of toothed wheels 00, pivoted at y, are geared together, soas to rotate forward and backward the limit of the range of theirtoothed faces. Each of these gears has on one side a hub z, of less thanthe full radius of the gears, whereon a series of electromagnets ismounted at equal distances apart around the hub,with their coresparallel with the axes of the gears and with the magnets of the twosegments arranged in pairs, the poles of which will abut each otherclosely when in the line cutting the axes of the two segments. the polesof the respective pairs will attract each other mutually when energizedby an exciting-currentand will turn the segments until the excitedmagnets meet in the middle position, provided the excited magnets besufficiently near the middle position to have the power to do so. Thesystem of operation is such thatit is always the pair next to the middleposition that is utilized for the next operation,and here the distancebetween the poles is so slight that the power is ample. The said magnetsare suitably insulated from the supporting-hubs of the segments, andeach pairis connected with a contact in the governingswitch by anindependent circuit, as follows: The middle pair is connected with thecontact 3 by the wire 3 The upper pairs 4,5,and 6 are connected with thecontacts at, 5, and 6 by the circuit-wires 4: 5, and 6 and the lowermagnets '7, 8, and 9 are similarly connected with contacts 7, 8, and 9by the wires 7", S, and 9". The current is brought into the contact-ring10 of the switch by the circuit-wire 11.

12 indicates the return-wire from the magnets.

13, Fig. 4-, is the rotating circuit-closer of the switch, and 13, Fig.1, is the handle for operating said circuit-closer.

The wires 3 to 11, inclusive, are to be coupled along the train, asindicated at 2.

One of the wheel-segments has a rigid arm 14:, that is connected by alink 15 with one end of a valve-operating lever 16, to which thevalve-stem is connected at 17, and the other end of said. lever isconnected at 18 to These magnets are so wound that a rod or bar 19,having a stud-pin working in an eccentric slot 20 in the pinion j, bywhich the motor-controller is geared with thecontroller-actuatingpiston,so that said rod or bar 19 will bereciprocated lengthwise as the barrel-switch drum is rotated. Any othermeans of causing such reciprocation synchronously with the shifting ofthe barrel-switch may be employed.

To the exhaust-pipe w for the barrel-switchactuating cylinder a blow-outstand-pipe 21 is attached,which is located within the switchinclosingcase in suitable proximity to the brushes q and having suitabledischarge-orifices 22 for blowing out the arcs when the cy1- inder isexhausted and the drum is returned to the off position and the contactsare broken. Jets from the compressed-air holder directly may be employedfor the blow-out.

The operation is as follows: As represented in Fig. 4 of the drawings,all the parts are in the off position, the car being at rest. Supposethe circuit-closer to be shifted onto con tact 4. The magnets 4: of therotating segments will be energized and they will shift into the middleposition, raising arm 14,which will raise valve 3 and open the port,admitting air into the left-hand end of the cylinder through pipe u. Thepiston e will move to the right, turning the barrel-switch to the left,making the proper contacts of the motor-circuit for setting the car inmotion. At the same time the eccentric slot 20 in the pinion j willbegin to pull lever 16 down to close the valve, and it will be closed bythis operation at the moment the circuit is closed in the barrel-switch,and the barrel-switch will then stop and continue at rest as long as thegovernor-circuita remains closed. It is obvious that furthermovement ofthe barrel-switch to the next step of its contacts in the same directionwill result if circuit-closer 13 be shifted onto the next contact 5, andso on for all of the contacts to be closed by the movement of thebarrel-switch in that direction. If now the barrel'switch is to bereversed for reducing the speed of the car and the closer 13 be shiftedback, say, from contact 5 to contact 4, magnets i of the gear-segmentswill be returned to the middle position,which, by the downward movementof arm 14 thus caused, and owing to the low position of bar 19 in theeccentric slot 20, will open the exhaust through pipe 10, permittingescape of some of the air behind the piston, which will then movebackward under the influence of one of the springs 23 in the cylinder,shifting the barrel-switch onto the corresponding contact and at thesame time raising lever 16 and again closing the valve and preventingfurther escape of air. The adjustment of the valve and its connectionswith the cam and the magnet-carrying segments is such that should thedrum be turned too far the valve will thereby pass beyond theclosingpoint and will slightly open the exhaust from the overpassed sideof the piston and the piston will automatically reverseand return thedrum to the right position and at the same time close the exhaust, andthe piston and drum will be held at rest. When circuit-closer 13 isreturned to the contact 3, further exhaust of the cylinder will occurand the piston will return to the middle position, returning thebarrel-switch to its middle position and again closing the valve. InFigs. 1 and 2 the magnetic gears are represented as inclosed in a case33. Springs 23 are also intended for causing the return of the piston eto the middle position within the cylinder, and springs 2a are providedin connection with one of the magnet-carrying se ments to return them tothe middle position at any time when the current may happen to beaccidentally interrupted, and thus automatically set the barrel-switchin the off position to protect the motor from the effects of fullcurrent suddenly applied again. rod f is provided with stop-shoulders 32to take effect on the heads of the cylinders to properly limit themovement of the piston. In Fig. 10 I represent a modified arrangement ofmagnets in the said step-by-step vibratable electromagnetic motor foroperating the valve of the compressed-air-controller acuator.

Two series of three solenoids each are set upright on opposite sides ofa supportingpost 19, with their cores suspended from lever 21, pivotedon said post, and connected at one end by link 15 with thevalveoperatingv lever 16, said cores being so suspended that the levermay continue to move after the cores have reached their limit ofmovement, the means of suspending them being rods 22 extending throughthe lever and having heads 23 above to hold the cores when theleverrises and the rods being free in the holes to permit the lever todescend after the cores have reached the limit of their movement. Anyother means of so suspending the core may be employed.

In each solenoid-cylinder 24 there is a stationary stop-core 25 to limitthe descent of the movable core, which stops are so graduated that theseveral magnets of the series will operate the lever step by stepsuccessively. Thus beginning with the magnet nearest the outermostextremity of the lever the first step of its movements will be effectedwhen conneciion is made with contact 4 in the governing-switch c by theswitch-closer 13, and the second and third steps will be effected inlike manner as the closer is shifted onto the confacts 5 and 6successively to effect full movement of the barrel-switch in onedirection. In like manner the other series of magnets will operate thevalve for shifting the barrel-switch in the other direction, accordingas circuit-closer 13 is connected with contacts 7, 8, and 9, all of thecontacts of the switch being in suitable connection with the magnets forso actuating them. The means for returning the valve and themagnet-cores The pistonto the middle position in this case consists ofthe weighted levers 27, pivoted at 28 on the standard 19 and bearing at29 on the lever 21*, with a stop-screw 30 to limit their fall andrelieve the lever 21 of their weight when it reaches the middleposition. The stops 30 are set in arms 31 of the standard 19 and areadjustable to regulate the position of lever 21.

The shaft 1' of the barrel-switch drum Z is fitted within a sleeve 34,which is secured to the shaft by a key 35 when the drum is to beactuated by the piston, the drum being fitted to the sleeve so as to berotated by it; but the key is fitted detachably, so that when the car isto be used independently of other cars and it is not required to operatethe drum by the piston the piston may be disconnected by removing thekey, and the drum may be operated by the handle 36 as in the usual way,said handle being positively fitted to the sleeve.

As both of the barrel-switches of a car are coupled to the actuator,only one circuitcloser might serve for each car; but it is preferred tohave one on each end of the car, so that it can be run in eitherdirection to better advantage when used singly.

The circuit-wires are arranged in protective tubular casings 37, and thetrain-circuits are coupled together from car to car with suitableflexible joints 3S.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In an electric car, the combinationwith the electric motor and barrel-switch, of a compressed-fiuidactuator for the said switch, means for controlling said actuatorconsisting of electromagnetic valve-openin g mechanism and agoverning-circuit closer therefor in the control of the motorman, andvalve-closing mechanism, automatically actuated synchronously with theoperation of the barrel-switch.

2. In an electric car, the combination with the electric motor andbarrel-swi tch, of a compressed-fluid actuator for the said switch,consisting of a fluid-impelled reciprocating piston geared with thebarrel-switch shaft, electromagnetic valve-opening mechanism and agoverning-circuit closer therefor in the control of the motorman, andvalve-closin g mechanism automatically actuated synchronously with theoperation of said barrel-switch.

3. In an electric car, the combination with the electric motor andbarrel-switch, of a compressed-ii uid actuator for the said switchconsisting of a fluid-impelled reciprocating piston normally at restintermediately of opposite ranges of movement for operating thebarrel-switch reversely, and geared with the barrel-switch shaft,electromagnetic valveopening mechanism, and a governingcircuit closertherefor in the control of the motorman and adapted for opening thevalve to either side of said piston, and valve-closing mechanismautomatically actuated synchronously with the operation of thebarrel-switch.

t. In an electric car, the combination with the electric motor andbarrelswitch, of a compressed-fluid actuator for the said switchconsisting of a fluid-impelled reciprocating piston geared with thebarrel-switch shaft, electromagnetic valve-opening mechanism and agoverning-circuit closer therefor in the control of the motorman, andadapted to open the valve in several steps successively, andvalve-opening mechanism automatically actuated synchronously with theoperation of the barrel-switch and to close the valve after each openingstep.

5. In an electric car, the combination with the electric motor andbarrel-switch, of a compressed-fiuid actuator for the said switchconsisting of a fluid-impelled reciprocating-piston, geared with thebarrel-switch shaft, and normally at rest intermediately of oppositeranges of movement for operating the barrel switch reversel y,electromagnetic valve-opening mechanism and a governing-circuit closertherefor in the control of the motorman,valveclosing mechanismautomatically actuated synchronously with the operation of the barrel-switch and springs to return the piston to the normal position.

6. In an electric car, the combination with the electric motor andbarrel-switch, of a compressed-fluid actuator for the said switch, meansfor controlling said actuator consisting of a step-by-step vibratableelectromagnetic motor, and a manually-operated governingcircuit closertherefor, and valve closing mechanism automatically actuatedsynchronously with the st-ep-by-step operations of the barrel-switch.

7. The combination in a step-by-step vibratable electromagnetic motor,of a pair of rotatory intermeshin g toothed gears, a series ofradially-disposed electromagnets on each gear so placed that therespective magnets of each gear meet successively in pairs in the linecutting the axes of the gears with their poles abutting in closeproximity, a governing-switch closer and independent circuitwiresconnecting the respective pairs of magnets and contacts for actuatingthe gears, said magnets wound for mutual attraction of the poles of therespective pairs of magnets.

8. In an electric car, the combination with the electric motor andbarrel-switch, of a compressed-fluid actuator for said switch, a stepbystep vibratable electromagnetic valveopening motor consisting of a pairof rotatory intermeshing toothed gears, a series of radially-disposedelectromagnets on each gear so placed that the respective magnets ofeach gear meet successively in pairs in the line cutting the axes of thegears with their poles abutting in close proximity, a governingswitchcloser and independent circuit-wires connecting the respective pairs ofmagnets and contacts for actuating the gears, said magnets wound formutual attraction of the poles of the respective pairs of magnets.

9. In an electric car, the combination with the electric motor andbarrel-switch, of a compressed-fluid actuator for said switch, a stepbystep vibratable electromagnetic Valveopening motor consisting of a pairof rotatory intermeshing toothed gears, a series of radially-disposedelectromagnets on each gear so placed that the respective magnets ofeach gear meet successivelyin pairs in the line cutting the axes of thegears with their poles abuting in close proximity, a governing-switchcloser and independent circuit-wires connecting the respective pairs ofmagnets and contacts for actuating the gears, said magnets wound formutual attraction of the poles of the respective pairs of magnets, andvalveclosing mechanism automatically actuated synchronously with theoperation of thebarrel-switch.

10. In an electric-car-train system,comprising a plurality of carscoupled together, the combination with the motor and barrel-switch, of acompressed-fluid actuator for the said switch, and electromagneticvalve-opening mechanism for the actuator in each of the cars, agoverning-switch closer in one or more of the cars, and circuit-wiresconnecting said closer or closers with'the valve-opening mechanism ineach car, and means in each car for automatically closing, the valve.

11. In an electric-car-train system comprising a plurality of carscoupled together, the combination with the motor and barrel-switch, of acompressed-fluid actuator for the said barrel switch and electromagneticvalveopening mechanism for the actuator in each car, a governing-switchcloser in one or more of the cars, circuit-wires connecting said closeror closers with the valve-opening mechanism and adapted to open thevalve in several steps successively, and means in each car forautomatically closing the valve in corresponding steps and successivelyto the opening steps respectively.

12. In an electric-car-train system comprising a plurality of carscoupled together, the combination with the motor and barrel-switch, of acompressed-fluid actuator for the said switch, and electromagneticvalve-opening mechanism for the actuator in each car, a governing-switchcloser in one or more of the cars, circuit-wires connecting said closeror closers with the valve-opening mechanism and adapted to open thevalve to either side of the piston for operating the controllerreversely in several steps successively, and means in each car forautomatically closing the valve successively to the opening stepsrespectively.

13. In an electric-car-train system comprising a plurality of carscoupled together, the combination with the motor and barrel-switch, of acompressed-fluid actuator for the said switch, a step-by-step vibratableelectromagneticvalve-opening motor consisting of a pair of rotatoryintermeshing toothed gears, aseries of radially-disposed electromagnetson each gear so placed that the respective magnets of each gear meetsuccessively in pairs in the line cutting the axes of the gears with thepoles abutting in close proximity in each car, a governing-switch closerin one or more of the cars, circuit-wires connectin g said closer orclosers with the valve-opening mechanism and adapted to open the valveto either side of the piston for operating the controller reversely, inseveral steps successively, and means in each car for automaticallyclosing the Valve successively to the opening steps respectively.

145. In an electric car, the combination with the motor andbarrel-switch, of a compressedfiuid actuator for the said switch, aValve for controlling the said actuator, a series of magnets, and agoverning switch or circuit closer for operating the magnets to open thevalve, said magnets being respectively connected in separate circuitswith the respective contacts of the governing-switch to be operatedindividually, and collectively connected with the valve for operating itsuccessively.

15. The combination with the motor and 1notor-controller,of a compressed-fluid actuator for the controller, and an exhaust-pipe oftheactuator provided with jet-orifices in relation to the motor-contactsfor blowing out the arcs of the opening contacts by the exhaust-jets ofthe actuator.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this 20th day of July, 1899.

AUGUST SUN DH.

Witnesses:

O. SEDGWICK, J. M. HOWARD.

